1941-S Doubled Die Reverse DDR-004

Description

Light extra thickness on "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and both wheat ears characterizes the 1941-S Lincoln Wheat Cent DDR-004, cataloged by VarietyVista as UVC-1514 with DMR-022. The "extra thickness" description indicates a close hub doubling where the secondary impression lands almost directly on top of the primary, widening the design elements rather than creating a clearly separated secondary image. Three die stages document the die's service life with an unusual obverse-reverse staging asymmetry: Stage A pairs a reverse in Early Die State with an obverse showing MMS-002 (small mintmark) characteristics already in Late Die State — suggesting this reverse die was married to an obverse die that had already seen significant service. Stage B shows the reverse advancing to Mid Die State while the obverse has deteriorated further to Very Late Die State. Stage C reaches Late Die State on the reverse, though this remains unconfirmed. The MMS-002 (small mintmark) designation on the obverse is itself a collected variety: it identifies a specific style of S mintmark punch used at San Francisco, smaller than the standard punch employed for most 1941-S cents. San Francisco struck 92,360,000 Lincoln Cents in 1941, the final full year of pre-war production before Pearl Harbor reshaped Mint priorities and metal allocations. The doubled die reverse combined with the small mintmark obverse creates a "combo variety" where two independently collectible die anomalies coexist, making confirmed specimens particularly desirable for Wheat Cent variety specialists who track both DDR and MMS classifications.

Die Markers

• UVC-1514
• DMR-022
• Stage A:
• Reverse is EDS
• Obverse is MMS-002 (small mintmark) – LDS
• Stage B:
• Reverse is MDS
• Obverse is VLDS
• Stage C:
• LDS (unconfirmed)

Attribution History

• Discovered by Larry Patterson
• Expert attribution by VarietyVista

External References